Breech closure



April 28, 1931. F. HERLACH ET AL 1,803,251

BBEECH CLOSURE I Filed Aug. 15, 1930 flaws AITDRNEV.

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 narra e stares eeann earsn'r .GFFEQE FRITZ I-IERLACH AND HANS LUDWIG, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS To RHEINISCHE METALLWAAREN- UNI) TEASCHINENFABBIK, OLE DUSSELDORDE-DEREN- DORE, GERMAN Y BREECI-I CLOSURE Application filed August 13, 1930, Serial No. 475,056, and in Germany September 14, 1929.

This invention relates to a breech closure, in which the firing mechanism is placed under tension by the movement of the closing lever before the beginning of the closing movement of the breech. Inprior closures of this type, the breech block can move during the movement of the opening lever, which tensions the firing mechanism, but this may be dangerous when the tensioning of the firing mechanism is repeated, as when a misfire has occurred.

The inventionobviates this defect and provides a breech closure, in which, in case of a misfire, a retensioningof the firing mechanism by the closing lever is possible, without any danger of an unintentional opening of the breech being thereby occasioned as, for example, by the resistance of the firing-pin spring. To this end, the breech is locked in its closed position by an escapement lock, which is automatically thrown out by the recoil of the barrel after firing. Furthermore, a second locking device is provided, which releases the closed breech only after an opening movement of the closing lever, which exceeds that for effecting the complete tcnsioning of the firing pin. This second lock see cures the breech against being opened during the movements of the barrel in closing, after the throwing out ofthe escapement mecha nism, and, therefore, the breech can only move, when it is to be opened, after the full tensioning and locking of the firing mechanism, so that a premature advance of the latter during the movement of the breech, which might be injurious, is prevented.

In the drawing, an embodiment of the in vention applied to a horizontal wedge breech closure is represented.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the barrel and breech,

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the base piece partially cut away,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the base piece from the rear,

Fig. 4k is a section through the base piece and the escapement mechanism, taken on line AA of Fig. 3,

' Fig. 5 is a side View of a portion of Fig. with the breech latch in section, and Fig. 6 is a side View partly in section showing the escapement mechanism of ig. ,-lool:- ing from-the side.

In the base portion a of the barrel'a is mounted the breech block b,-movable transversely horizontally in guideways. It receives the firing-pin 0, which is movable in the direction of thebarrel axis under the in fluence of the spring '0 the front end of said pin carrying the firing point and being provided with a lateral shoulder 0 In front of this shoulder liesthe lug al of a tensicning; shaft (Z, rotatable in the breech block Z) and carrying a lever 6Z2, whicl can swing horizontally in a recess Z2 of said block. The free end of lever (Z is pivotally connected, by the latch f, with a second lever 0 mounted on a shaft 6, rotatable in the base piece a; by means of a hand lever 0 against spring pressure.

In accordance with the invention, the breech block is locked in closed position at one time by an escapementmechanism, automatically disengaged by the recoil of the barrel. To this end, a bolt Z is mounted in the breech block 1), (Figs. 4 and 6) so as to be movable in thedirection of movement of the barrel. Said bolt remains firmly connected with the bushing Z during the recoil of the barrel, in consequence of its inertia and against the action of the spring Z so that a latch pin 2', mounted at right angles to the direction of movement of said. bolt and acted upon by spring 6 engages in a notch Z of bolt Z. The bushing Z fast on the bolt Z, is thereby held back with its nose Z out of the latch groove 6 of the base piece a, and in a recess 6 of the breech'block. The latch pin 5 2' has a bevel surface 2' near its top, with which it projects into the path of the opening lever 7 when the escapement latch device,

Z, Z Z is maintained out of engagement. The lever f forces it out of locking position after a certain opening movement, so that the escapement mechanism is released and, is moved back by spring Z until its nose Z, enters the groove in the base piece a During the further opening movement of the breech block, the nose Z slides in said groove until it comes out of the same and is moved further back for a limited distance by the spring Z By the closing of the breech, the laterally beveled nose Z is forced forwardly from the groove in the base piece a against the action of spring Z and slides then along said groove again, in correspondence with the closing movement of the breech, until it springs into the groove 6 when the breech b is closed, and locks the same.

In addition to the escapement lock, a second locking mechanism is provided to prevent apremature opening of the closed breech. In the groove of the base piece a a bolt 9 is provided (Figs. 1 and 5), which is acted upon by spring 9 and which, by springing into a notch in the closed breech block, locks the latter against opening movement. The upper part of the locking bolt 9 projects into the guideway, formed by the recess 5 (Fig. 2) of the nose f, of the link 7", so that the bolt 9 is disengaged by the movement of said link in the opening oper ation.

In describing the operation, it is assumed that the parts are in the closed position, in which the breech block is locked by the bolt 9 as well as by the escapement Z. If after the operation of the trigger, not shown, the gun has not fired, the firing-pin c is retensioned by swinging the opening handle a, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, through the transmission members 0 f, (Z shaft (Z and nose (A. This moves lever (Z into the recess 5 of the breech block Z) and limits the tensioning movement by striking against the vertical end surface of the recess 7),. Shortly before, nose f, of the connecting member f disengages the bolt 9, while the escapement Z, i, prevents the opening of the breech. After the tensioning of tl firingpin, the opening lover a, is returned to its initial position by aspring, not shown, and the connecting lever f thereby releases the bolt 9 so that it can engage the breech block. Therefore, in case of a misfire, repeated tensioning of the firing-pin can be had by actuating the opening handle, while the breech is still locked and secured against opening. An opening of the breech is then only possible where the escapcment mechanism is re leased by hand.

If the gun misses fire in normal operation, the escapement mechanism is automatically unlocked by the recoil of the barrel. But the breech then remains locked by the bolt g, until the firing-pin is placed under tension by swinging the opening handle e in the direction of the arrow and, after the nose (l of the tensioning shaft d slides off the shoulder 0 is held as usual by the catch bolt. In the further swinging of said handle, the nose f, of the link f forces the bolt 9 back and the lever (Z now bearing on the surface 6 an escapement mechanism for locking the breech against opening, said mechanism be ing automatically released during recoil of the gun; and a locking device adapted to also lock the breech against opening, said lockin device being released only by an openii g movement of the breech lever exceeding the tensioning of the firing mechanism.

2. A breech closure for guns, comprising a barrel having a base portion; a breech mounted in said base portion; a breech lever mounted on said portion; a firing mechanism in said breech; an escapement mechanism mounted in said breech for locking the breech against opening, said mechanism being automatically released during recoil of the gun; and a locking device in the barrel adapted to also look the breech against opening, said locking device being released only by an opening movement of the breech lever erzceeding the tensioning of the firing mechanism.

3. A breech closure for guns, comprising a breech and breech lever mounted on the gun; a tensioned firing mechanism; means for locking the breech against opening and being automatically released during recoil of the gun; and further means adapted to also look the breech against opening and being released only by an opening movement of the breech lever exceeding the tensioning of the firing mechanism.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures.

FRITZ HERLACH. HANS LUDVVIG. 

